Drag scraper



April 12, 1938. R. G. L' TouRNEU DRAG scRAPER Filed Ag. 1o, 193eINVENToR vATTORNEY Patented Apr. l2, u I

s PATENT OFFICE mmc scaAPEa *Robert G. Le Tourneau, Peoria, Ill.,assignor .to

R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc., Stockton, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication August 10, 1936, Serial No. 95,148

6 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to wheel and tractor sup'- ported drag scrapers;my principal objects being to provide a scraper of this character inwhich the wheels and bowl are so mounted relative to `each other andcontrolled so that a great range of vertical movement of the bowl may behad; one in which the bowl may be disposed at a transverse tilt relativeto the wheels so as to make the scraper suitable for sidehill work; andone having an eilicient and easily operated means to hold the bowl in araised position for transportation, without relying on the tension ofthe control cable or other operating mechanism.

Aiurther object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for-the purposefor which it is designed. 6

These objects I accomplish by means of such V structureand-relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal ofthe following specitication and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the scraperin a scraping position. v Y Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of thescraper in a -raised transporting pc'isitioi.V Figure 3 is a fragmentaryplan section the line 3-l3 of Fig'. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the char? acters'ofref'erence on thedrawing, the bowl of theA scraper 'comprises side plates I and a backplate 2, the lower portion of which is disposed with a forward slope toits lower end and has a scraping plate 3 across such end and set at thesame slope. This slope is such that `while the weight of the dirt in thebowl when the latter is in a scraping position tends to hold the samedown so as to enable the plate to properly dig into the ground and avoidchattering, while at the same time such dirt will readily slide oif theplate when thebowl is lifted the relatively short distance necessary forleveling purposes. This slope is substantially to the horizontal.

A cross beam 4 connects the side plates at the top and front, and arigidbraced tongue 5 extends forwardly and downwardly from said beamcentrally thereof. At its forward end the tongue is provided with aswivel coupling unit 6 adapted' for supporting connection with the drawbar 'I of the tractor.

, Pivoted on the side plates at the front and substantially midway oftheir height are rigid arms B. Ihese extend to terminations rearwardlyof the bowl and are rigidly connected behind the taken on l same by across beam 9, so that said beam and arms form a substantiallynon-distortablemnit. Standards III are rigid with and depend from thisbeam in transversely spaced relationship; these standards supportingwheels II whichare disposed outwardly thereof. l

One arm 8 is mounted on the adjacent side plate by a non-adjustablepivot I2. The pivot point of the opposite arm however is made verticallyadjustable by the following means: the forward end of said arm projectsbetween the adjacent plate I and a bracket plate I3 rigid with said sideplate, and having a block I4 projecting from its outer face for its fullheight. The block and bracket plate as well as the plate I are providedwith a number 'of vertically spaced sets of holes I5 and the such are'adapted to receive the pivot pin I6 of the adjacent arm 8. This pin isof course removable and to prevent it from undesired removal, I providea removable locking pin I'I which extendsV horizontally through theblock I4 of the pin I6 as shown in Fig`.`3, It is of course to beunderstood that the block isdrilled at each pivot' pin hole to receivethe locking pin. o Inf this manner by changing the position ofv thepivot bolt. I6', and sincethe arms 8 and the wheelsV form' a rigid unit,the bowl will be set at'diiierent transverse` slopes as operatingconditions may require; 1 Y' The vertical'movement of the bowl iscontrolled by a single tractor-operated cable I8 as -followstlv securedon end behind the bow1"adjacent the bottom and centrally of its width isa sheave block I 9, while occupying a similar position on the cross beam9 and overhanging the block- I9 is another sheave block 20. AThe cableI8 passes along and over the bowl from the tractor, about a directionchanging pulley 2| iixed on the top of the bowl centrally thereof, downto the sheave block I 9 and then up to the sheave block 20; passingabout and between these sheaves to an anchor as at 22 on the latter. Itwill thus be seen that by pullingl on the cable the bowl will be raised.relative to the Wheels, while lowering of the bowl is effected byslacking up on the cable and allowing the weight of the bowl to cause itto drop. vDue to the length of the arms 8 a relatively large raisingandlowering movement of the bowl may be easily had 4(about three feet atthe back being obtainable) which is suicient for deep scraping as wellas providing for a high ground clearance of the bowl 2 have provided ameans to enable the bowl to be I held in the necessary raised positionwithout having tomaintain the cable Il on a tension. This meanscomprises a link 23 pivoted on and depending from the underside of thebeam l and lugs 24 mounted on and projecting rearwardly from under thesheave block i8. The lugs and the lower end of the link are drilled toreceive a coupling pin 25. Therefore when the bowl has been raised by apull on the cable sumcient so that the hole in the link when swungbetween the lugs alines with those in the lugs, the pin may be projectedthereto and the tension on the cable may then be released. The weight ofthe bowl will then be entirely supported by the link and since the bowlis then of course empty and the link is on a tension besides being inacentral position relative to the width of the bowl, said link will L'.substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims. Y' i Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A drag scraper comprising a bowl having side plates, means to supportthe bowl at the front from the ground, arms pivoted on the side platesadjacent their forward ends and projecting beyond the rear end of thebowl, a cross beam rigidly connecting said arms rearwardly of the bowl,ground engaging wheels mounted in connection with said cross beam, andmeans betweenthe cross beam and the bowl below the Sgam to control theraising and lowering of the 2. A drag scraperl comprising a bowl, meansto support the bowl at the front en d from the ground, arms pivoted onthe bowl adjacent its forward end and projecting beyond the rear end ofthe bowl, wheels mounted in connection with link, said 1R88 and linkhaving holes adapted to match'when the bowl is raised a predetermineddistance and a coupling pin adapted for removable placement through theholes.

3. A drag scraper comprising a bowl having side plates, means to supportthe bowl at the front from the ground. arms pivoted on the side platesadjacent their forward ends and projecting beyond the rear end oi' thebowl, a cross beam rigidly connecting said arms rearwardly of the bowl,ground engaging wheels mounted in connection with said cross beam, asheave mounted on the bowl behind and toward the bottom thereofcentrally of its width, another sheave mounted on the cross beam inalinement with thebow'l sheave, a direction changing pulley on the backof the bowl at the top, and a pull cable extending over the pulley fromin iront, down to and over the bowl sheave and up to and over the crossbeam sheave to an anchor adjacent one of said sheaves.

4. A drag scraper comprising a bowl having side plates, altongue rigidwith and projecting forwardly from the bowl and adapted at its front endfor swivel connection with a tractor, arms extending along the sideplates outwardly of the bowl to a termination rearwardly of the same, amember rigidly connecting the arms at their rear ends, wheels supportingsaid member from the ground', pivot connections between the arms andbowl. 'and means to adjust the pivot connection of one arm vertically.

5. A structure as in claim 4 in which said last named means comprises abracket plate mounted ion the adjacent side plate ofthe bowl landoverlapping the front end of the adjacent arm, a

block rigid with and -projecting outwardly from the bracket plate, saidblock, bracket plate and side plate having vertically spaced sets ofmatching holes. a pin for removable placement throughtliearmanda'mysetoflioles,anriacrosspini'orv removable placement throughthe block and pin.

8. AdragscrapercomprisingabowLmeansto support the bowlat the front endfrom the ground. arms pivoted on the bowl adjacent its forward end andprojecting beyond the rear end ofthebowhwheelsmountedin connectionwlth'thearmaacrsbeamconnecting'thearmsrearwardlyofthcbowhtensionmeansconnectingthecross beam and bowl belcwsaid beam, andcontrolmeanstoaltertheeifectivelengthofsaid 'ROmTG.LlTOURNEAU.

